Planooraph co



l. HUBER'.

. SUBMARINE MINE.

4APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1.911.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I Hilf/Mmm THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cb.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

I. HUBER.

SUBMARINE MINE.l

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY2`1917.

Patented sept. 2, '1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 4

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JAMES HUBER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VICKERS LIMITED, 0F WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

SUBMARINE MINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rPatented. Sept. 2, 1919.

Application led July 2, 1917. Serial No. 178.065.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES HUBER, a citizen of Switzerland, and residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Mines; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a submarine mine, and has for its-primary object the provision of a mine wherein' the sounding ball will be released from the anchor prior to the release of the anchor from the mine itself.

The further object of the invention resides in so constructing the device, that the means controlling the release of the anchor from the mine also controls the release of the sounding ball from the anchor.

Figure 1 is a fragmental elevation of a mine with a portion of the anchor broken away and with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View 'on line 2 2 on Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a .vertical sectional view of the means for securing the anchor to the mine.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on line 4-4 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of a modified form of sounding ball.

Fig. 7 is a top plan of the same with the cover removed.

Referring to Figs.' 1 to 4, inclusive, I have illustrated an anchor 1 and a mine 2 of the usual form, with which lanchor the usual sounding ball 3 is associated. f

The mine is securedto the anchor during the launching and untilit reaches .a prede# termined depth by means similar to that described in my co-pending-application, Serial No. 173,182, filed June 6, 1917.l This means includes Ia cylinder V4, which is pivotally mounted at 5, on an extension 6, of a" plate 7. This plate v7, is secured'to the side of the anchor 1 in any desired manner and is'provided with keepers or guides 8 for the purpose which will later appear." A' tubular socket member 9 is screwed into the upperend of the 'cylinder 8, or is otherwise secured-v thereto,

which member acts to close the end 0f the cylinder. Ay piston'lO is operable in the cylinder 4 and is providedwith a rod 11, which extends upwardly through the bottom of the socket 9 and into the same. This-rod 11 is provided with a reduced portion 12 and with a head 13, whichhead is provided with a `cam face 14. A connecting element is adapted to extend vinto vthe tubular socket 9 and is `of inverted U form having dependent legs 15 on the `lower ends of which are toe portions 16, which toe portions lare adaptedto engage within the reduced portion 12 of the head. 11. This connecting element is adapted to be secured to the turnbuckle 17 of the attaching -member-which passes over the mine. A retaining .pin 18 passes through the two -apertures in the tubular socket 9, and through corresponding apertures in the'legsl of the connecting member. This .pin'may be of any desirable form and material, such for instance as described in4 connection with the abovefmentioned co-pending application. The inside diameter of the tubular member 9`is.,such that when the legs 15 of the connecting member are located therein and the toe portions engaged inthe reduced portion 12 of the rod 1 1, therod and attaching member will move in unison after the initial relative movement which will occur because 'of the space which exists between the upper edges of the toe portions 16 and the cam face 14. The piston 10 is provided lwith an aperture through which fluid contained withinV thecylind-er 4` may pass from one side to the other, thus when the connecting element is disengaged from thev rod 1'1 of the'piston, the anchor will beQfree t0 move away from the mine. In order that the sounding ball may be released from'the anchor prior to the disengagement ofthe anchor from the mine, I have engaged the ring 19 of the ball with' a pelicanv hook 20,;which is pivoted-at21 to the anchor. v` The bill'of. this hook is engaged'normally by vthe'lower end of a slide 22, 4which moves through the keepers v or guides .8. The upper endA ofthisvsllde 22 extendsatright angles vto the body portion further provided to move. The loop 23 is preferably of such size that the legs of the connecting member may have mov-ement laterally of the same. Vith this construction it will be seen that when the connecting member starts its movement within the socket 9, the slide 22.will innnediately be moved upwardly so that the lower end of the same will be disengaged from the bill of the hook 20, and the hook will be freed. This disengagement occurs before the connecting member is disengaged from the piston 11. Of course, upon the freeing of the hook 20, the sounding ball will be released and will fall to its operative position. As this movement of the sounding ball occurs before the disengagement of the mine from the anchor, the sounding ball will have ample time to assume its operative position. v

Referring to the modification illustrated in Figs. to 7 inclusive, I have shown the anchor 1, the mine 2', and a sounding ball 3. This sounding ball is preferably of the form illustrated in the drawing, being provided with fins L1 which cause the ball to descend vertically through the water. This ball is with a chamber 5 which is end .and in which the deopen at its upper disposed, one end sired length of chain 6 is of thel chain being secured to a hook 7 in the chamber, and the other end to the anchor, in the usual manner. This chain passes upwardly through a notch 8 lin the upper edge of the sounding ball. The links of the chain are so disposed that it will be possible for the chain to draw through the notch. A cover 9 with the upper end of the sounding ball and is preferably of such material that when disengaged therefrom it I will sink. Thus, it will be seen that when the sounding ball is disengaged from the mine, its downward movement will be vertical, and the chain will be automatically disengaged from the notch 8, which chain will at the same time move the cover 9 from the sounding ball.

This sounding ball is supported in the anchor by an arml 10, having a knob-shaped end 11', which extends through anv opening 12 in the side of the ball. The relative size ofthis end of the arm and the opening 12 is such that, upon a swinging movement of the ball, it may disengage itself from the arm.

In order that this swinging movement of the ball may be prevented until after the mine has sunk-to a predetermined depth, I have providedA the following mechanism. The' means for `attaching the mine and anchor together, which is similar Yto that described in connection with Fig. 1, andV includes a socket 13 anda connectingelement 14, is provided. A slide 15, which moves preferably in keepersA or-guides 16 formed on `a plate 17'., which latter vis secured to is detachably engaged the anchor, is engaged at its upper end with the connecting element lei by a loop 18, in a manner similar to that described in connection with Fig. 1. The lower' end of this slide passes through registering openings in a strap 19 which encircles the lower end of the sounding ball, as illustrated. The lower end of this slide also passes through openings which register with the aforementioned openings and which are formed in ears 20, permanently carried by the anchor 1.

Thus it will be seen that when the mino sinks to a predetermined depth, the movement of the connecting element 14 will commence. This will disengage the slide 15 from the strap 19 so that the lower end of the sounding ball will be free to swing. The swinging` movement of the soun ding ball will disengage the same from the arm 10 so that the sounding ball may drop t0 its operative position. The anchor will then be disengaged from the mine, in the manner which has been previously described.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of meansfor detachably securing the mine and anchor together and means for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor, the last mentioned means being controlled by the first mentioned means.

2. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor `and its sounding ball, of means for detachably securino4 the mine and anchor together and means for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor, the last mentioned means being controlled by the first mentioned means, and permitted by said first mentioned means to release the sounding ball prior to the release of the anchor.

3. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of means for securing the mine to the anchor including a connection which is capable of being rendered inoperative to hold the mine and anchor together when the former has sunk to apredetermined depth and means, controlled by the aforementioned means, for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor.

' 4. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of means for securing the mine to the anchor including a connection which is capable of being rendered inoperative to hold the mine and-anchor together when the former has sunk to a predetermined depth and-means, controlled by the aforementioned means, for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor, said first mentioned means being constructed Ato permit the release of the sounding ball prior to the release of the anchor.

5. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of means `for securing the mine and anchor together including an element secured to the anchor and an element attached to the mine and to the first mentioned element and disengageable from the latter, said elements having relative movement, caused by the buoyancy of the mine, prior to the disengagement of the latter from the former, and means for attaching the sounding ball to the anchor, which means is controlled by the first mentioned means and is rendered inoperative upon the initial relative movement between the elements of the first mentioned means.

6. The combination with a submarine mine, and its anchor, of' means for securing the mine and anchor together including an element secured to the anchor and an element attached to the mine and to the firstA mentioned element and disengageable from the latter, said elements having relative movement, caused by the buoyancy of the mine, prior to the disengagement of the latter from the former, and means for preventing such relative movement prior to the launching of the mine.

7. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of means including a pair of separable elements for securing the mine and anchor together, means for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor and a connection between said first mentioned means and said last mentioned means operable to permit the release of the ball upon the initial movement of one of said separable elements of the first mentioned means.

8. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of means including a pair of separable elements for securing the mine and anchor together, an element for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor and a connection between one of said separable elements and said last mentioned element for rendering the latter inoperative upon the movement of the former.

9. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of

10. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of a pair of separable elements for securing the mine and anchor together, a pivoted hook mounted on the anchor and arranged to support the sounding ball, a slide connected to one of said separable elements and engaged with the bill of the hook to prevent the'dis? engagement of the sounding ball from said hook prior to the relative movement of the separable elements but permitting said disengagement upon the initial relative movement of said separable elements.

ll. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of means, independent of the cable drum, for detachably securing the mine and anchor together, and means for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor, both of said means being connected together in such manner that the sounding ball will be released from the anchor prior to the release of the anchor from the mine.

12. The combination with a submarine mine, its anchor and its sounding ball, of means, independent of the cable drum, for detachably securing the mine and anchor together, and means for detachably securing the sounding ball to the anchor, both of said means being connected together in such manner that upon the release of one of said means the other means will be released.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

JAMES HUBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

